Thanks! What a quick response! I kinda like it, and it seems to be keeping to the gravel walk where we want to put the stepping stones, or under the apple trees (where we wanted a ground cover anyways). The rest of the lawn is in full sun so it seems that it hasn't gone any further. I mean, this lawn hasn't been looked after in the last 5 years (and is over 100 years old) so I am sure if the Creeping Charlie had wanted to go further it would have (I hope)! Mystery solved!

Kevin, good call with the veronica Georgia Blue. As a matter of fact, I have a swath of blue phlox around a bed of mixed daffodils and grape hyacinths. At first it was gorgeous, but I can't seem to keep the phlox thriving. I have finally decided to give up on it. A few feet away, in another bed, is a large clump of veronica Georgia Blue, and one day while walking out to my mailbox, I had an epiphany! I saw the veronica, simply smothered in those little blooms, and thought: Switch out the blue phlox for the veronica! So that's my plan. I just need to get (lots) more veronica. Ibanez, it's not an all-season bloomer, but no perennial really is. I would say it blooms for a few weeks, though, and after peak bloom there are still blooms here and there for a bit. Dee

It does look like you may have Lobularia maritima/Sweet Allysum as your wildflower on the slope, this can actually be a decent long term groundcover if you trim off the old flowers to refresh it from time to time. It also looks like your slope has quite abit of shrubs planted out which will fill in the areas within the next several years, so you don't actually have large areas that will remain sunny and exposed. Bark mulches such as Shredded Redwood bark that is stringy, and often called "Gorilla Hair Mulch" would work on that slope without washing off if you just want to mulch it. It does look as if the existing shrubs will completely fill in over time on the slope, so any groundcover will be shaded out over time. One of the Lampranthus or Delospermum types of iceplant would work well in this situation, dying off as they get shaded out, and can be bought cheaply from mud flats or cell packs.

I have a similar application: I just finished a stone retaining wall with a 7' wooden fence which is inset 12" from the wall. The fence faces east - this is the side for which I am interested in covering, behind the fence is a yard, so soil is abuntant on that side. I was looking for something "tame" to soften the look. Star Jasmine was a thought, but I'm told its tendrels are a bit uncontrollable. Creeping Fig seems to have too dull of leaf for what I was seeking. Monterey Bay Brush Cherry seems to have nice folliage, but I'm told the stock gets very large and trimming it to 12" would not be adviseable. Sizzling Pink Fringe Flower is very attractive, but I hear it won't climb to 7' heights. From what I've read, it appears a well behaved option would be the Green Spire Euonymus or perhaps the Green Tower Boxwood - perhaps with the Purpleleaf Wintercreeper at the base, "spilling" over the stone wall caps. Any suggestions? is the Green Spire Euonymus a good choice? How long would one expect it to grow to 7' heights?